Re-evaluating Therapeutic Shoeing

Therapeutic shoes can outlive their usefulness, so re-evaluate the shoeing prescription intermittently.

Photo: Erica Larson, News Editor

Q. My horse has been wearing therapeutic shoes long term but has started to have soundness issues after two years of going well. Is there any point or situation you'd recommend going "back to basics" with a straight shoe or barefoot to evaluate and pinpoint the issue's root cause?

Mari, via e-mail

A. Yes, this is often the case. Therapeutic shoes can outlive their usefulness. The shoeing prescription needs to be re-evaluated intermittently. Therapeutic shoeing changes the way the foot loads, and can eventually overload other areas of the foot and cause lameness.

About the Author

Scott Morrison, DVM, is a podiatrist and shareholder at Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington, Kentucky, where he sees a variety of foot and lameness-related cases. He graduated from Virginia Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine in 1999.

Stay on top of the most recent Horse Health news with FREE weekly newsletters from TheHorse.com. Learn More

Article

Article

Article

Article

POLL: Older Horse Care Concerns

What is your biggest concern for your older horse? Please explain in the comments below!

Maintaining weightOsteoarthritis and other lamenessDiseases such as PPID, EMS, and insulin resistanceKeeping them active and movingOther (please specify)I do not own an older horseComments. 100 Characters Max

Featured Adoptable Horse

Fury

Fury is a healthy, well-mannered Standardbred trotter. He's calm, reasonable & an easy keeper. He stands perfectly for vet, blacksmith and grooming and is easy to load on/off trailer. I do not ride so I have not tried him under saddle, but like m ... Read More